Dual action switch



Feb. 22,1949. HARRISON, JR 2,462,495

DUAL AQTION SWITCH Filed June 13, 1946 Patented Feb. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES i ATENT OFFICE DUAL Ac'rIoN SWITCH William B. Harrison, .lr., Richmond, Va. Application June 13, 1946, Serial N0. 676,408

2 Claims.

This invention relates "to electric switches and inore particularly to manually operable switches.

It is an object 'of my invention to provide a switch capable of can operation so as to function either as a push button switch, wherein the switch handle or knob must be manually held in operative position, or optionally as a lock-in switch wherein the operative position is self-holding.

It is another object of my invention to provide a switch'whic'h shall be'siinp le to operate by virtue of convenient manual. motions for achieving looking or non-lockingopeiation.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a switch which shall be simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

In accordance with the above objects I provide a switch comprising a manually operable plunger capable of reciprocation and rotation; the plunger being so shaped as to coact with one or more resilient displaceable switch blades in a manner whereby such blades may be held in displaced position by manual force upon reciprocation of the plunger, rotation of the plunger being operative to lock the blades in displaced position. Further, the locking position of the plunger may be effected by initial rotation thereof, there being no necessity for any preliminary reciprocation to cause initial displacement of the blades.

My invention will now be described in detail in conjunction with the appended drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a switch constructed in accordance with the present teaching and shown for illustrative purposes as mounted on a conventional panel; and

Figure 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

With reference to the figures of the drawing, a panel P is disclosed having a bore ill which supports a plunger I3. plunger I3 having a portion I5 arranged to reciprocate and/or rotate in bore It upon manipulation of a knob I8 disposed at the exterior end of portion l 5. Plunger I3 is provided with a collar which may be integral with portion I5 but of larger diameter in the present case, and extending integrally from collar 20 is a cam member 23 comprised of parallel fiat surfaces 25 and cam surfaces 26. It will be obvious from consideration of the drawing that plunger I3 may be formed from a single rod of hard rubber or the like suitably turned from an original diameter approximating that of a collar 20 and provided with flats 25, the knob I8 being a separable member secured to portion I'5 after mounting on the panel.

Adjacent the collar and cam members are switch blades 28 of the spring leaf type having off set cam surfaces 30 adapted to be engaged by the peripheral edge of collar 26, and having additional surfaces 32 adapted to normally rest in the recesses provided by flats 25 when blades 28 are in non-displaced position, as shown in the drawing. Spring leaves 35 are provided spaced from respective blades 28, there being contact points 2% and 35a secured to respective members 28 and which coact in a conventional manner to close a pair of circuits when blades 28 have been displaced to cause engagement between the pairs of contacts. Members 28 and 35 may be secured in any suitable manner to panel P as by being fixedly molded in an insulating block B which is adapted to be secured to the panel by bolts as shown.

In operation, if knob I8 is pushed inwardly, collar 2!! will abut offset cam portions 30, thereby causing displacement of blades 28, whence contact between points 28a and 35a will ensue. Such contact will continue as long as knob I8 is maintained in forward position by manual force, blades 28 being thus non-lockingly displaced. However, should knob I8 be rotated a quarter turn, the cam surfaces 26 will abut the blade surfaces 32 whence the blades 28 will be held in contact locking position, the switch being thus self-holding in closed circuit condition. It will be appreciated at this time that initial reciprocation of plunger I3 is unnecessary when it is desired to lock the blades in displaced position in the first instance, mere quarter turn rotation of knob i8 sunicing to accomplish the desired result.

Although my invention as illustrated herein is shown as operating a pair of blades, it will be appreciated that many modifications are possible within the teaching thereof. For example, plun er structures for operating a single blade or several. blades may be designed in accordance with the principles set forth. Further, other modifications may be made efiecting alternate opening and closing of a plurality of circuits upon reciprocation and/or rotation of a plunger as described herein. Accordingly, it will be evident my invention is capable of adaptation to suit a large variety of specific purposes and is not limited to the particular embodiment described, except as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch device, a support, an actuator member mounted for reciprocating and rotating movement on said support, said actuator member having an enlarged cylindrical end, one portion of which is provided with two fiat recesses on opposite sides of the axis of said actuator and forming shoulders at the junction of said recesses and said cylindrical portion, a plurality of spring biased switch contact elements mounted on said support and adapted to move in a plane transversely of the axis of said actuator, said contact elementsprovided with parallel fiat cam surfaces overlying the recessed portion of said actuator member, said contact elements also having laterally disposed inclined cam elements simu1tane ously overlying said cylindrical portion, said inclined cam elements adapted to be engaged by the shoulders between said recesses and said cylindrical portion of said actuator upon axial movement of the latter and said fiat cam surfaces adapted to be engaged by the edges of said flat recesses upon rotational movement of said actuator to move said contact elements into -separated relation whereby said contacts may be moved into non-holding separated relation by axial movement of said actuator while the shoulders on said actuator are held against said spring biased inclined cam elements, or into a held separated relation by rotational movement of saidactuator causing said flat cam elements to be engaged by the edges of said flat recesses.

2. In a switch device, a support, an actuator member mounted for reciprocating and rotating movement on such support, said actuator having an enlarged cylindrical end, one portion of which is provided with two flat recesses on the opposite sides of the axis of said actuator and forming shoulders at the junction of said recesses and said cylindrical portion, flat leaf spring switch contact elements disposed adjacent each of said fiat recesses, each of said leaf spring switch contact elements having one end mounted on said support, the longitudinal dimension of said leaf springs being at substantially right angles to the axis of said actuator and said leaf springs adapted to move in a plane transversely of the axis of said actuator, said leaf springs having portions overlying said recesses of said actuator member, inclined cam elements carried by said leaf springs and disposed laterally with respect thereto to simultaneously overlie said cylindrical portion when the said leaf springs overlie said recesses, said inclined cam elements adapted to be engaged by the shoulders between said recesses and said cylindrical portion upon axial movement of said actuator and the said leaf springs adapted to be engaged by the edges of said flat recesses upon rotational movement of said actuator to move said leaf springs into separated relation whereby said leaf springs may be moved into non-holding separated relation by axial movement of said actuator while the shoulders on said actuator are held against said inclined cam elements or into a held separated relation :by rotational movement of said actuator causing said leaf springs to be engaged by the edges of said fiat recesses.

WILLIAM B. HARRISON, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 

